Private Conversations
by IlanaNight
Summary: Prompt from an Anonymous tumblr user. Levi goes to Hanji for her help in diagnosing a strange 'condition' he's noticed recently, and can't quite believe her answer. Surely he can't have feelings for the brat? And the brat can't possibly return them. Not to mention, Eren heard every word.


Eren wandered the hallways of the castle-like headquarters, simply exploring. Petra had shooed him off from his post seated in a window and looking out over the plains. She had insisted that he get familiar with the place that would be his new home, so long as he was back in his chamber before curfew was called. Levi was known to punish harshly for missed curfew.

A good portion of the place wasn't being used, but had been scrubbed spotless nonetheless. There weren't many members in Levi's squad to house, and thus an entire wing of rooms was currently empty. There was always the possibility of others coming to visit, though, so that explained the need to keep that wing neat. Or maybe Eren had just started making excuses for Levi's need for cleanliness.

Torches lit the hallways, but in these unused parts of the castle they were fewer and farther between than in the traversed corridors. More shadows fell between them and Eren often found himself hurrying to get to the next section of light. While he wasn't frightened by the dark, he did admit that the emptiness of the place was getting to him. Were Armin here, he'd probably be spewing stories of how castles like this in the outside world were haunted by ghosts of their former residents.

In his wandering, Eren hadn't noticed that his feet had led him down the officer's corridor. A door was open, soft light pouring out along with voices that he couldn't quite recognise from this distance. Curious, Eren stepped quietly over to the door, peeking his head around the edge of it to put faces on the covert whispers coming from within.

With surprise, Eren found Levi and Hanji behind the door. The eccentric researcher was seated with a smile on her face, while Levi was standing, his teacup abandoned at the other end of the table. Eren strained his ears, hoping to catch more of the conversation that had the Captain looking so riled up. Could something have happened back in the city?

"No, Hanji, you don't understand. This isn't anything I'm familiar with, I have no prior examples." There was an undercurrent of tension to Levi's tone, accompanied by irritation at Hanji's clear lack of worry, "Is there a scientific explanation for this? It can't be natural, is it an illness?"

Hanji's laughter rang out in the room, a look of amused disbelief on her face. Her enthusiastic response only caused Levi's scowl to deepen. "An illness? Some might describe what you're feeling as a disease of sorts. It can be fatal, in some cases, but is often simply painful. Once you're through the pain, though, this illness has some positive side-effects. But, I'll have to be certain that I'm diagnosing you properly. Could you list your… symptoms again, Captain?" Hanji bit back another laugh, pushing up her glasses and looking to Levi with attention.

Levi subconsciously pulled at the sleeves of his coat, righting the cuffs. An exasperated sigh accompanied the action as Levi rolled his eyes, "I've told you this already, Hanji, but since you seem to need reminding, I suppose I'll have to repeat myself." It took him a moment to gather his thoughts, fidgeting with his coat again before answering, "It's a strange sensation in my stomach, not painful but not comfortable either. A pressure of sorts that ebbs and flows. Sometimes, it's followed by a lack of focus, I've been less focused lately than I have in my entire military career!" Levi paused for a moment, breathing deeply to calm himself before continuing, "Not to mention the flush that comes at seemingly random times, for no reason! It's just sudden heat in my cheeks, but I don't have a fever whenever I check."

Hanji nodded to each admission, a thoughtful look on her face. When Levi finished, looking to her expectantly, she placed a hand to her mouth in thought before nodding with finality, "Yes, I'm afraid you're quite ill indeed. But, you needn't worry, it's not contagious the way a normal disease is. The whole squad won't catch it." A mischievous glimmer sparked in her eyes, "Though I know of another who's caught it. He's just not as aware as you are, Captain."

Levi's tongue clicked to the roof of his mouth, "Games of riddles are not my sport of choice, Hanji. If someone else has this same illness, just tell me. We can both be quarantined as necessary."

Bright, enthusiastic laughter rang out again and Hanji nodded, "Yes, perhaps that would be best indeed. Because your symptoms intensify when you're together, and being in close proximity is proven to bring about a solution to this particular strain of illness."

It took Levi a moment of thought to discern who she meant. The vague sensations followed him everywhere, but when were they the strongest? A youthful face flashed before his mind's eye, first twisted in anger and then stretched in a grin, and the flushed sensation returned in full. "Jaegar." Levi growled out as realisation hit him, "So he's got this too? What sort of illness is this, that it mirrors in victims?"

"Why, surely the great Captain Levi has heard word spoken of the most lethal disease known to humanity, the plague that has always claimed us?" When Levi's only response was a deadpan stare, Hanji chuckled, throwing her hands to the side for dramatic emphasis, "You're lovesick, Levi. And so is Eren, though you're both doing a lovely job of writing it off."

"Tch." Levi's face was set in disbelief, but before he could rebut Hanji's diagnosis, a gasp from the door drew his attention. Turning on his heel, Levi's eyes caught a glimpse of shocked green irises before their owner pulled back from the open door. He heard the booted footsteps making their way down the hall away from him and gave chase. Anyone who overheard even a bit of that conversation would not be getting away with it.

It didn't take much for Levi to catch up to Eren, and the teen looked back with fear, causing him to misstep and fall. Despite his anger, Levi chuckled, standing over Eren and nudging him with his foot to flip Eren onto his back rather than his stomach, "Did you honestly think I wouldn't catch you, Jaegar? Eavesdropping on your commanding officers is a harsh offense, I could have you whipped for such insubordination. I still might, if you don't tell me exactly what you heard."

Levi crouched down, leaning over Eren to look directly into his eyes. The green was nearly swallowed by pupils dilated by fear. Nothing in Levi's face gave away the anxiety of knowing that Eren had overheard any of his conversation with Hanji, but he was displeased to feel that heat creeping through him again. Proximity to the Titan shifter did indeed seem to intensify his symptoms.

Grey eyes searched Eren's face, both for an answer to his question and for what Hanji had insinuated. If the symptoms were showing in him, would they show in the brat as well? He still couldn't bring himself to accept Hanji's diagnosis. Love wasn't something he could experience, he had shut that portion of his heart out long ago.

And indeed, there was a flush dusted across Eren's face. The teen's breath hadn't calmed from his run, despite his having stopped. If anything, it had sped up, coming shallower through an open mouth. When grey eyes met green, they found that a clouded look in them. Eren's eyes were on him, but there wasn't any particular point of focus.

"That wasn't a request, brat, it was an order. What did you overhear, and how long were you listening?" Levi's voice held it's usual cool nonchalance as he leaned in closer, face hovering over Eren's with little space between.

The tightness in his chest wound and he repressed the urge to back away and lessen the sensation. He wouldn't let this… reaction… stop him from intimidating an answer out of Eren. But the mingling of breath brought that lack of focus to him, catching from Eren's eyes to his. Thoughts of anger and annoyance over the eavesdropping faded into the back of his mind, and he couldn't bring himself to feel indignant.

Now, creeping into his head was an opposite desire. Rather than wanting to pull away, Levi found himself leaning closer and closer, nose bumping against Eren's. There was no denying that flush on either face now, turning a deeper shade of rouge with every second they spent in such close proximity.

It seemed that the sudden closeness shocked Eren back into reality, an answer sputtered out from his lips, "I-I… I heard your whole conversation, Captain Levi… But I didn't mean to, I swear, I was just curious and….and shocked is all…."

Anger flared up in Levi, but the fog in his mind twisted it into something more passionate, more frightening. The hand that was resting beside Eren's head moved swiftly to wind into brown locks of hair, pulling him up the last inch to press their lips together in a rough kiss. It wasn't a loving act, but rather a mashing of tongues, lips, and teeth.

Only a moment into the kiss, Eren returned the favour, reaching up to pull Levi closer by the back of his neck. Breath mixed in gasps as the two pressed into each other, this disease drawing them ever closer to the edge.

Levi pulled away with a growl, biting Eren's bottom lip and tugging before retreating to a safer distance, the pair catching their breath. Despite the audacity of what he had just done, all he noted was a sense of satisfaction, and the absence of that tension in his chest.

Could Hanji have possibly been right? On all of what she said?

The proximity to Eren had indeed compounded the symptoms, but acting on the desires which accompanied them had cleared them all. Aside from the flush to his cheeks, though that was now one of exertion.

Levi cursed under his breath. The damn scientist was right.

"Fuck, brat. I love you. This is going to make life complicated." His voice held a dark tone as he brushed Eren's bangs back from his face, fingers tracing along tan skin, "But, I suppose I can take condolence in the fact that this disease caught to you as well."

He leant down to whisper in Eren's ear, "We're not telling Hanji that she was right in her assumptions, though. I'll make certain you don't have enough voice left by tomorrow to inform her."


End file.
